Petersons Produce

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

A trip out to visit Petersons Produce, located
between Dixonville and Clymer, was very historical. Owners and farmers
Larry and Glenda Peterson have been farming their entire lives, so they know a
thing or two about growing produce. What was really intriguing was the story
behind the farm they live on. Glenda's maiden name was Edwards and the
Edwards family has owned the farm and land since James Edward immigrated from
Wales in 1836. The house was built somewhere around 1850 and is still
standing this day, a lovely home built on the side of a hill overlooking the
150 acre farm. When Glenda was a child the farm raised sheep and was
basically a self-contained farm where they grew their food and even had a coalmine.
Glenda married Larry 37 years ago and became a Peterson but the farm life
stayed the same.

Larry and Glenda have always grown crops on their
property, and once the Farmers' Market opened they found their outlet for the
excess food they produced. It's amazing that they have time to farm so
much land because Larry has been a physics and biology teacher at Purchase Line
School District for 25 years, and before that he was a coal miner. Because of his profession, Larry only sells at the market until school starts in the fall.

Egg laying hens

Petersons Produce grows the "main staples, not
specialty items" according to Larry. That includes things like potatoes,
cabbages, beets, onions, beans, and many other crops. As well as
vegetables, they have blueberry bushes and fruits trees on their land. Up
behind the house you can find a chicken coop of around 30 chickens called
Golden Comets, a mix between the White Leg Horn and the Rhode Island Red.
The chickens will lay eggs all winter and throughout the market season.
The Petersons are one of the few vendors who sell farm fresh eggs at the
market, and when they're running low on eggs "it can get cutthroat"
according to Glenda.

Other than Larry and Glenda, their son will occasionally work on the
farm, but two of their grandchildren, Madalyn and Landon, help tremendously.
The goal for Larry and Glenda is to use the money made from farming for
college funds for their grandchildren. The Petersons have a great story
behind their farm and are a down-to-earth and loving couple that work hard to generate
quality produce.